Torpedo-guard for vessels.



H. PRICE. TORPEDO GUARD FOR VESSELS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 19] 7.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

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HARRY PRICE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

' Application filed nuym, 1917. Serial No. 180,311.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it lmown that I, HARRY PRICE, a citizen of Russia, having declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Torpedo- Guards for Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its chief object to provide the hull of a navigable vessel with means for preventing contact of a submarine torpedo with the sides of the hull, and for renderin relatively harmless the eX- plosion of a torpedo in close proximity to thehull.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the hull of a vessel provided with a protective attachment embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, a portion of the attachment being broken away.

Fig. is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlargement of a portion of Fi 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1, the cover portion of the attachment being removed.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, a represents a hull which may be of any suitable form and construction.

My improved attachment hereinafter described may be attached to a previously completed hull, said attachment forming with the sides of the hull a water-tight jacket surrounding the hull, and being pref erably bolted or otherwise detachably secured to the hull, so that when the exigencies requiring the use of the attachment do not exist, the hull may be restored to its original and usual condition.

The chief portions of the attachment embodyingthe invention are an outer wall 12, secured at its lower edge by suitable means, such as bolts 13, to the bilge portion of the hull, and inclined outwardly and upwardly from the sides of the hull approximately to he water line, and a cover portion 14: extending from the upper edge of the inclined wall 12 to the side of the hull, said cover being preferably inclined, as shown by Figs. 3 and 4-.

The wall 12 may be constructed of metal plates and i preferably thinner and more easily rupturable than the sides of the hull.

As shown by Fig. 1, the wall 12, cover 14 and the side of the hull collectively form a water-tight jacket which is substantially triangular in cross section, the wall 12 being inthe path of a submarine torpedo approaching the hull, and its inclination being preferably such that it tends to deflect the torpedo downwardly, although, if this result is not accomplished and the torpedo penetrates the wall 12, its force is checked and is caused to explode at a distance from the side of the hull.

The triangular space bounded by the wall 12, cover 14, and the side of the hull is preferably subdivided by vertical bulkheads 15 into a plurality of independent watertight compartments, each bulkhead being of triangular form and provided with flanges l5 secured by bolts 16 to the wall 12 and to the side of the hull. The upper edge of each bulkhead may be provided with flanges 15 forming seats for the cover. Said cover is preferably composed of a plurality of sections each of which may be connected by hinges 18 with the upper edge of the inclined wall 12, said sections being secured by bolts 19 to the flanges 15 When the bolts 19 are removed, the cover section may be swung outwardly on the hinges 18 to permit access to the interior of the jacket.

The cover is provided with means for relieving pressure generated, as by the explosion of a torpedo within the jacket, said means being preferably embodied in springclosed safety valves 20 on the cover sections.

I prefer to interpose yieldingly supported bufier plates 25 between the outer wall 12 and the sides of the hull, said plates being slidable sidewise on fixed guides 26, and

backed by strong springs 27. In case a torjacket at the bow and stern maybe shaped to conform to these parts. The hull'may be provided with bags'of sand orother suitable ballast, which may be thrown overboard to compensate for the weight of water entering the jacket when the wall 12 is ruptured. The jacket may be utilized to contain freight, in which case the buiier plates 25 may be omitted. 7

It will be seen that the subdivision of the jacket into independent compartments by the bulkheads, confines the entrance of water to a relatively small portion of the jacket, when the outer wall is ruptured at a given point. I

The outer wall 12 and its cover may be utilized as a part of a hull, when removed from the hull a, the wall 12 being supplemented by a suitable bottom and keel.

I claim: v v

1. A navigable vessel having a protective jacket external to the hull and including displaceable covering means permitting access to the interior of the jacket. V

2. A navigable vessel having a protective jacket external to the hull and including a displaceable cover formed in sections.

v 3. A navigable vessel having aprotective jacket external to the hull and including a displaceable cover formed in sections which are independently hinged. V

4. A navigable vessel having a protective jacket external to the hull and including a displaceable cover formed in sections which are provided with safety valves.

5. A navigable vessel having a protective jacket external to the hull, a portion of said jacket constituting .an outer guard below the water line and yieldingly supported buflt'er plates within said jacket, constituting inner guard members interposed between said outerguard and the hull.

6. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides, of the hull and forming therewith a water-tight jacket'substantially triangular'in cross section and having an inclined outer wall extending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line, and .a displaceable cover extend-v ing inwardly from the upper edge of said outer wall to the sides of the hull.

7. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides of the hull and forming therewith a water-tight jacket substantially triangular in cross section andhaving an inclined outer wall extending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line, and a displaceable cover extending inwardlyfrom the upper edge of said outer wall to the sides of the hull.

8. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides ofthe hull and forming therewith a water tight jacket substantially triangular in cross section and having an inclined outer wall ex-- tending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line, and a displaceable cover extending inwardly from the upper edge of said" outer wall to the sides of thehull, said attachment including transverse bulkheads subdividing said jacket into independent compartments.

. 9. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides of the hull and forming therewith a water-tight jacket substantially triangular in cross sectionand havingan inclined outer wall extending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line, and a cover extending inwardly from the upper edge of said outer wall to the sides of the hull, said cover being made in sections which are detachably secured and are displaceable to permit access to the in-. terior of said jacke V t 10. A navigable vesselhaving aprotective attachment connected with the sides of the hull and formingtherewith .a water-tight jacket substantially triangular in cross section and having an inclined outer wall extending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line, and a displaceable cover extending inwardly from the upper edge of said outer wall to the sides of the hull, said cover being provided with means for relieving pressure generated within the jacket.

11. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides of the hull and forming therewith a water-tight jacket-substantially triangular in cross section and havingan inclined outer wall extending-from the bilge of .the. hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the.

its

water line,1and adisplaeeable cover extend-1 12. A navigable vessel having a protective attachment connected with the sides of the hull and forming therewith a watertight jacket substantially triangular in cross sec- 5 tion and having an inclined outer wall extending from the bilge of the hull outwardly and upwardly to or approximately to the water line and a displaoeable cover extending inwardly from the upper edge of said outer wall to the sides of the hull, and bufier 10 plates yieldingly supported between the said outer wall and the sides of the hull.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

HARRY PRICE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

